Buffalonians "...drunkenly sharpening their Felcos..."

In this month's issue of Fine Gardening Magazine, (December 09), the editor's asked garden writers and professionals from different areas of the country to list their "Three Garden Wishes." The California representative, Amy Stewart, wishes for "Heat" (she lives by the air-conditioning ocean), "Salvias" (she doesn't have enough) and "Neighbors with better gardens than mine." And about neighbors gardening, she writes:

"I want to be surrounded by gardeners with more imagination than I can conjure up. I need motivation–and company. It was not until I experienced the extraordinary Garden Walk held in Buffalo, New York, that I realized that some people live in neighborhoods in which everyone gardens. Plants get traded over the fence, and there are garden parties that last long into the evening, with gardeners drunkenly sharpening their Felcos and stumbling into the perennial border, cocktails in hand, to finish the weekend's work. It sounds dangerous but thrilling."

Methinks she's spent a fair amount of time in the Gardening While Intoxicated garden. But in a city where the bars don't close till 4 a.m. each night, it's inevitable we'd have a reputation for drinking and gardening.

You'll have to pick up this copy of Fine Gardening magazine (available at fine magazine retailers near you) to see what the other garden "gurus" from around the country each wish for. There's also some great bits on pros & cons of different types of composting, unique fall plant suggestions, sustainably-oriented garden design, conifers for shade, and an article on grasses with some great photos. Oh, and a quick interview with Paul James.